MANHATTAN – Fire Captain Terence Hatton was mourned by two families Thursday — his fellow firefighters and his pregnant wife carrying the child he’ll never hold.
The 41-year-old was remembered at a funeral Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a hero and a role model for both his unborn child and the nation.
His wife only discovered she was pregnant after Hatton died leading the rescue effort at the World Trade Center. Hatton was praised by President Bush in a letter read at the service. He was eulogized by Mayor Giuliani; Hatton’s wife, Beth Petrone-Hatton, has worked as Giuliani’s personal assistant for 17 years.
Giuliani said, “Terry Hatton was the kind of man I’d like my son to grow up and become.” Such scenes of loss and remembrance have played out with mind-numbing regularity since the Sept. 11 attack.
